DJR secures future with new partnership deal.

The future for Australia's longest-established V8 Supercar team, Dick Johnson Racing, has been secured.

Melbourne-based businessman Charlie Schwerkolt has bought into the iconic-Queensland team, establishing a new business structure with founder & former racer Dick Johnson.

"The partnership with Charlie has secured the future for Dick Johnson Racing and I am delighted," a relieved Johnson announced today. "Despite fantastic support and assistance from our sponsor, Jim Beam, it's no secret that as a business we have been struggling financially for some time thanks to the failure of past sponsorships programmes among other things.

"Charlie's intervention has given us the business and financial security to ensure the long-term future of Dick Johnson Racing and to return us to the very top of V8 Supercar racing."

Nicknamed Australia's 'Forklift King', Schwerkolt owns and operates three of Australia's largest forklift sales and rental businesses, Waverley Forklifts (Melbourne), National Equipment (Sydney) and Queensland Forklifts.

He's a long-time friend of Johnson's and no stranger to the sport, as the forklift supplier for the construction of the Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne) and Gold Coast Indy Grand Prix circuits.

Until now, his only direct V8 Supercar involvement was Gibson Freight's forklift loading of cars onto racks for the annual off-shore Bahrain and New Zealand events, and the supply of Manitou forklifts for recovery work at V8 Supercar events.

"To be honest, this (his new partnership with Dick Johnson) is a complete surprise. I was trying to help Dick because of the predicament he was in but I had always said I didn't want to get involved beyond that," Schwerkolt admitted.

"As it has turned out, the opportunity presented itself to become an owner on a very sound and viable business basis, otherwise I wouldn't have done it."

Schwerkolt will bring his demonstrable business skills and experience to the running of Dick Johnson Racing as a business, leaving Dick and (team manager) Adrian Burgess to concentrate on track performance.

In announcing the new partnership, Dick Johnson was also quick to thank No Limit Group's CEO John Marshall and his senior management team for their solid business acumen and John's very enthusiastic interest in a similar partnership with Dick Johnson Racing.

"John has been fantastic. We spent the last few months working through a potential partnership, and a sound business model to go forward, and they were really, really supportive throughout," he added.

"In weighing up my options I have taken what I see as my long-term solution for the entire business. I need to acknowledge John, though, for everything he's done and I hope we get the chance to do some business again in the future."